Area tournaments, regional pairings

Cherokee County, Cleburne County win area softball tournament titles; title game results, regional pairings

By East Alabama Sports Today

CENTRE — Emily Williams’ bases-loaded, one-out infield single scored Erica Ellzey from third with the winning run to give top-seeded Cherokee County a thrilling 8-7 victory over White Plains in the “if” game for the Class 4A Area 12 Tournament title.

The Lady Warriors (36-9), headed to the regionals for the first time in five years, won the first game 5-3 to force the winner-take-all final.

White Plains rallied from a 7-2 deficit to tie the game in the top of the seventh on Presley Whitten’s leadoff homer. Savannah White’s three-run double highlighted a four-run sixth and helped bring the Lady Wildcats back.

Kendal Perry and Williams had two hits apiece for Cherokee County. Whitten, White and Isabella Pinto all had a pair of hits for White Plains.

Perry and Ellzey both homered for Cherokee County in the first game of the championship doubleheader.